"Today, guys, I have an important announcement to make," said Hoshinomiya-sensei, her tone slightly different from the usual, with a hint of seriousness that didn't normally accompany her usually cheerful demeanor. Some students exchanged curious glances, anticipating what was to come.
"Another special exam, Sensei?" asked Shibata, his carefree attitude suggesting that the possibility of more academic pressure didn't affect him in the slightest.
"That's right," she replied, crossing her arms and casting a glance at the group. "Even though it was only a month since the mixed camp ended, the school has decided it's time to present you with a new challenge."
"Wow, the school doesn't give us a breather, does it?" Mako commented, letting out a frustrated sigh as he leaned back in his chair.
Kanzaki, always pragmatic, raised his hand slightly before asking, "What is this special exam about, Hoshinomiya-sensei?"
"As always, I will distribute the instruction sheets. If you have questions, I will be happy to answer them. Please read everything carefully before asking," she said while starting to hand out the papers among the students. Her smile was a bit tenser than usual, and some noticed it.
When the sheet reached my hands, I took it with some caution. The atmosphere in the classroom grew quieter, the usual laughter and murmurs fading away to the sound of paper crumpling between my classmates' fingers. I immediately began reading the first lines. The title of the exam stood out in bold letters, like an implicit warning:
Instructions for the Special Exam: Class Voting
This special exam will test the relationships among students, as well as their ability to make strategic decisions. Below are the rules, rewards, and penalties that will govern the exam.
Exam Rules:
Voting System:
- Each student will receive 3 praise votes and 3 criticism votes that must be distributed among their classmates.
Final Result: Praise votes and criticism votes cancel each other out. At the end of the exam, each student's result will be calculated by subtracting the received criticism votes from the accumulated praise votes. (Praise Votes – Criticism Votes = Final Result).
Example: If a student receives 5 praise votes and 3 criticism votes, their final result will be 2.
Voting Restrictions:
- You cannot vote for yourself. Votes must be cast exclusively for other students.
- You cannot cast more than one vote for the same person. Each of your 3 praise votes and 3 criticism votes must be for different students.
- You cannot abstain from voting or leave your ballot blank. You must cast all the votes assigned to you.
Repetition of the Exam:
- The exam will be repeated as many times as necessary until it is clearly determined which student holds the first place (the highest number of net praise votes) and which holds the last place (the highest number of net criticism votes).
Mandatory Inter-Class Vote:
- In addition to the votes within your class, each student must cast one additional praise vote for a student from another class. This vote must be carefully considered, as it can influence inter-class dynamics.
Rewards and Penalties: Highest Number of Praise Votes (First Place):
- The student who receives the highest number of net praise votes will receive a Protection Point. This point is an invaluable resource, as it allows the student to nullify a future expulsion in any exam. If you fail a future exam and are at risk of expulsion, you can use this point to avoid it.
Note: The Protection Point is personal and non-transferable. It cannot be used to protect other students.
Highest Number of Criticism Votes (Last Place):
- The student who accumulates the highest number of net criticism votes will be automatically expelled.
..
The atmosphere in the classroom had become dense, as if a cloud of uncertainty floated above us. After reading the rules of the exam, the message was clear: no physical or academic effort was required, which made it seem simple. However, the real issue lay in a single and terrifying word...
"Expulsion?" Honami's voice broke the silence as she held the sheet between her hands, her tone reflecting disbelief, as if she couldn't process what she had just read.
"Sensei, I think it's cruel that the school forces us to expel someone," added Kanzaki, a mixture of surprise and disapproval in his voice.
The teacher observed Kanzaki for a moment before nodding with a slight expression of resignation.
"I know. This exam is... problematic, and believe me, I dislike it very much," said the teacher, as if recalling something from the past. It wouldn't be surprising, considering she had studied at this very school before.
"Is there any way to avoid the expulsion?" asked Honami, a trace of hope in her voice, as if clinging to the idea that there had to be a solution.
"Only one," the teacher replied calmly, but her gaze was firm. "You can avoid the expulsion by paying twenty million private points."
"Twenty million?" Kanzaki repeated, unable to hide his astonishment at such a sum.
Behind me, Yuki whispered softly, almost to herself:
"That's... a fortune."
I turned my gaze to Honami, and our eyes met for a brief moment. I knew that look, that determination that never left her. For her, there was no sacrifice too great if it meant saving one of her classmates.
"We'll talk about it later," I said quietly, and she nodded slightly, understanding that for now, there was nothing more to discuss.
After that brief conversation, the doubts in the class began to dissipate. Some students asked for details on how the protection point worked, and the teacher explained that the point, once obtained, did not expire and could be used in any future exam. In other words, it was a valuable insurance policy that could protect someone from expulsion at a critical moment. A tool that would undoubtedly make a difference in the toughest exams. However, outside of those questions, the classroom fell into a heavy silence.
The real problem with the exam wasn't the mechanics themselves. The rules were simple. What was concerning was the hidden lesson the school was trying to teach us.
I couldn't help but think about the objective behind all this. This institution called itself a trainer of elites, of those who would one day lead great companies or establish their own empires. But then, what sense did it make to have an exam where we were forced to expel someone in an almost inevitable manner?
"This is very much like what happens in companies," I murmured to myself. "When a company goes through a crisis, whether financial or structural, they make staff cuts. They fire the least necessary, those who don't contribute as much, in order to maintain profitability. Is this what the school wants to teach us? That we have to learn to make hard decisions? To discard what isn't useful?"
The mere thought filled me with a growing discomfort. Was that the true lesson? To confront the reality that, in the world, not everyone can stay afloat, and that to reach the top, sometimes it's necessary to sacrifice others along the way?
I couldn't help but feel repulsed by the entire system. If this was the type of leaders they wanted to form—those who made cold, calculated decisions without hesitation—then I didn't want to be part of it.
The sound of the bell interrupted my thoughts, marking the end of the class. As the students began to gather their things in silence, an uncomfortable feeling lingered in the air, like an invisible threat that everyone could sense, but no one dared to mention.
The exam hadn't officially begun, but the consequences were already being felt. This would not be just another simple exam. Here, at this moment, not only our intelligence would be tested, but also our morality.
And that was what troubled me the most.
======================================================
This is the beginning of another special exam. Am I perhaps moving too fast?